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(Model.)

H. K. SMITH 8v A. MGQUE'EN.

Mail Bag Delivery Apparatus.

No. 235,172. l Patented Feb. 22., 1881.

. county of Genesee and UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE K. SMITH AND ALLAN MCQUEEN, OF BATAVIA, NEW YORK.

MAIL-BAG-DELIVERY APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,172, datedFebruary 22, 1881. Application tiled December 18, 1880. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HORACE K. SMITH and ALLAN MOQUEEN, of Batavia, in the have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Means for Delivering Mail-Bags from Moving Trains; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a top View with parts removed. Fig. 3 is a section.

This invention relates to mail-bag dischargers, or devices for taking mail-matter auto- Inatically from the cars while they are in motion.

The invention consists in a Swingin g bracket of peculiar construct-ion located upon the side of the car, and a receiver ot' novel form located upon the side of the track, all as hereinafter fully described.

In the drawings hereto annexed, A is the side ofthe car, projecting from which are the eyes B B. In said eyes, by pins a a, are hinged the lugs b b of right-angled frame C. Upon the upright D of said frame is placed a slider-bar, E, held by an eye or loop, F, and kept in any desired position by a spring, G.

H is a coiled spring, fastened to the upper end of frame O by a pin, 7L, and bearing with its end h against the side of the car.

Top bar, I, and slider-bar E are parallel. and have their ends beveled oi't in the same direction at f and c, slider-bar E also being curved up at the end.

K is a post, located upon the side ot' the track, consisting of an upright, L, and a top bar, M. Placed at the end m of said top bar, M are two plates, N and P, the lower one, N, having a flange, n, and a body, n, the upper, P, being made dat and the same thickness throughout. These plates are bolted together and to the end m of top bar, M, so as to bring the thick portion of body a between said plates, leaving a space, R, between `flange a and plate P; `or the two plates may be made alike and a block inserted between them. S

State of New York;

is a stud passing through these plates and space R.

T T' are two spring-arms, whose coil t surrounds stud S, and Y is a toggle-brace, whose arms v o are jointed to said arms and connected together by a cam-joint, n.

The mail-bag to be discharged is placed on the bracket at the side of the car, its bottom on curved end ot' slider-bar E, its top against top bar, I, the slider-bar E being adjusted to suit different lengths of bag. The position of' the bracket on the car is such that the thrust is received by the spring H. The post K is placed by the track and the spring-arms TT held open by toggle-brace V, the position of said arms with relation to the path of bracket on the car being such that as said bracket passes the bag is received between these arms and drawn from the bracket, the bevels facilitating this action. The impact of the bag loosens the toggle-brace, and the spring-arms, coming together, gripe the bag. Theshock of the bag striking` the receiver causes the arms to swing around in the space R, the shape ot' the latter being such as to allow this movement, and danger of breakage is avoided.

To lock the arms T T apin can be inserted through holes y 1/ in plates N and P.

1. The combination of frame O, having upright D and top bar, I, slider-bar E, and spring H with a car.

2. The herein-described receiver for mailbags, consisting ot1 the post K, arm M, and the plates N P, bolted together and having the space R, in combination with the pivoted spring-arms T T, provided with the togglejoint V o o o', constructed and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that we claim the above we have hereunto subscribed our names in the presence of two witnesses.

hi. HORACE K. SMITH.

S. A. SHERWIN. 

